Aiming for victory by scoring goals to advance to the Semifinal Round!

The second leg of the J.League YBC Levain Cup Quarterfinal Round has arrived, and we will face Avispa Fukuoka away.

In the first match, Nakajima scored the opening goal, but allowed Fukuoka to equalize just before the end, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
Advancement to the Semifinal Round is determined in the following order: total number of wins in two matches → goal difference → number of away goals. Therefore, at this point, Fukuoka, having scored an away goal, is in a slightly advantageous position.

In order for Tokyo to advance, goals are absolutely necessary, so they have been working on various attacking patterns during the three-day preparation period. They have also been preparing with strategies to exploit the opponent's weaknesses and movements to draw out the defense from the sides.

However, in place of Muriqui, who was injured in the first match, Nakajima was used on the left side. Additionally, Insoo YU was named in the starting lineup for the first time at the top, and Kajiyama and Tanabe were included in the starting lineup as defensive midfielders.

Fukuoka had Nakamura as the right back in the first match, but in the second match, Kube will take the right side. Additionally, Sueyoshi will be in the midfield, while the rest will be the same starting members as in the first match.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
The away match against Fukuoka in the Levain Cup Quarterfinal Round 2, which was in doubt due to the approaching typhoon, started at 19:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Tokyo seized a valuable away goal and took the lead into the second half!

2 minutes: Kicker Higashi took a grounded right corner kick, and Insoo YU in the area connected with his left foot, but GK I Bomyong saved it right in front.
5 minutes: Heavy rain starts to fall.

15 minutes: The battle for control in the midfield continues.
17 minutes: Nakajima boldly takes a shot from about 20 meters in front of the goal, but it goes over the crossbar.

25 minutes: Fukuoka's kicker MF Danielson's cross was headed in by DF Hamada in front of the goal, shaking the goal net, but a foul was called just before.
30 minutes: Higashi passes to Muroya on the right side. Muroya's cross is deflected by the defender, but the loose ball is connected from Kajiyama to Tanabe, and Tanabe's precise shot from outside the area finds the top right corner of the goal, making it 1-0.
Tokyo took the lead, surpassing Fukuoka in the total of two matches.
32 minutes: Fukuoka intensifies their attack. From outside the area, Sueyoshi and others take consecutive shots. The Tokyo DF line defends this by putting their bodies on the line.

In a back-and-forth battle for control, Tanabe opened the scoring with a superb goal from mid-range, leading 1-0 at halftime.

Takahashi's additional goal pulls ahead of Fukuoka, advancing to the Semifinal Round!

The second half begins with Fukuoka's kickoff.
49 minutes: Tokyo takes control of the game by circulating the ball around the central midfielders Tanabe and Kajiyama.
47 minutes: Nakajima shoots in a crowded area, but it is deflected.
55 minutes: Fukuoka FW Jogo breaks through alone from the right side. However, this is calmly dealt with by Tokunaga and Takahashi.

60 minutes: Fukuoka makes their first substitution. FW Sakata comes in for MF Sueyoshi.
63 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Hashimoto for Kono.
63 minutes: Fukuoka launches a wave attack. DF Kamekawa's mid-range shot is blocked by Tokyo DF.
65 minutes: Hashimoto, who came on as a substitute, moved to the left side, Higashi moved to the right side, and Nakajima and Insoo YU were in the center.
68 minutes: The DF line consists of a three-back with Yoshimoto, Takahashi, and Tokunaga.

72 minutes: Tokyo makes their second player substitution. Maeda comes on for Insoo YU.
74 minutes: Higashi intercepted a pass in his own half. Higashi passed to Maeda, then to Nakajima, and connected back to Higashi who surged up the right side, but was brought down to win a free kick.
75 minutes: Takahashi headed in a free kick taken by Higashi in front of the goal, which he earned himself. Tokyo has scored the additional goal they wanted!
76 minutes: Fukuoka makes their second substitution. MF Mishima comes in for FW Jogo.
77 minutes: Fukuoka makes their final substitution. FW Kanamori is replaced by FW Kunimoto.

84 minutes: Tokyo, final player substitution. Hanyu is brought in to replace Nakajima.
85 minutes: Fukuoka approaches the goal with an early cross from the left side, but Akimoto catches it firmly.

In addition to 2 goals, they did not allow any goals in the final stages with a solid defense, securing the victory. They have advanced to the Semifinal Round.

[Player Comments]
《Tanabe》
"I thought we had to work hard today to win, and we talked about fighting with a strong mindset as a team. We were able to continue that kind of play until the end, and it led to our victory."
Q=Reflecting on the goal scene.
"Kajiyama dropped the ball for me, and I was able to trap it in a good spot, so I aimed for the visible path and shot, and I was able to score just as I imagined. I was surprised myself (laughs), but I'm glad I shot. I want to score more from this opportunity."

《Takahashi》
"This season, there were times when I couldn't play in matches, and during that time, I was able to deeply understand the feelings of the fans and supporters who came to cheer for us, whether by hearing directly or indirectly. With those feelings in mind, after scoring a goal, I ran over to them."

【Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference】
The best thing was that we all fought to advance to the Semifinal Round. I think it was a very wonderful result. Today, we increased our output in both offense and defense. Scoring the first goal was significant for us, and after that, we were almost pushed back, so we boldly switched to a 5-4-1 formation. I communicated to the players to maintain the 5-4-1 when defending and to transition to a 3-4-3 when attacking. That worked well, and we were able to score the second goal from a set piece, which we hadn't been able to do recently.
Regarding how to conclude the game, the players reflected on what they could not do at home last time and prepared for three days. In any case, we were able to achieve our biggest goal of advancing to the Semifinal Round. With the support of the players, staff, and fans, it was truly great to break through. Also, we want to prepare thoroughly as a team for the next league match.

[Summary of the Press Conference by Masami IHARA, Coach of Fukuoka]
"First of all, I would like to apologize for not being able to achieve the result of advancing to the Semifinal Round, despite many fans and supporters coming out in bad weather to cheer for us. This was our first time reaching the quarterfinals and the knockout stage. We aimed to go even further, and in the 1st leg, we managed to equalize with an away goal, ending the match at 1-1. Today's match was the fourth game against Tokyo this year, so I anticipated it would be a very difficult game. I thought there was a possibility of conceding one goal, but we discussed that if we conceded, we could still equalize and go to extra time. I believe that the timing of conceding the second goal was everything in today's game."
It became very difficult when we conceded from a set piece and it was 0-2. However, the players kept running for 90 minutes, trying to do something about the game until the end. I believe each of them felt what was necessary to move up after experiencing the knockout stage for the first time. It was a significant knockout stage for the team as well.